Report: The UFC is close to being sold

The UFC is a very profitable business. With President Dana White pulling the strings, the company has increased in popularity. It appears that White and the UFC are not done growing. According to MMA Fighting, two bidding groups have offered close to $4.1 billion for the mixed martial arts company.

WME-IMG and China Media Capital are the two groups with heavy interest in the UFC. The former has a potential investor in The Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots. The Kraft Group was not available for a statement. If they were to take control of the company, they would have two super “teams” under their belt. CMC has potential investors all around Shanghai and Hong Kong. The war between these two could mean a huge investment for the UFC depending on how it all goes down. Billionaires Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta currently own the UFC.

Dana White, who both bidders are interested in keeping aboard, has been keeping quiet over the years when a discussion like this happens. He dodges these questions and instead talks about growing the UFC. The investors would be wise to keep him aboard, as White is a great spokesperson/promoter. He stated on The Dan Patrick Show:

“Obviously, if I’m in the middle of a deal right now, there’s a lot of confidentiality involved in it. We’re working on expanding. We’re working on growing the company and moving into other territories like China and Japan, Korea. So, yeah, we’re always working on deals… As far as the UFC being for sale, I’ve said this a million times, we get offers on the UFC all the time. It started in 2010. We got our first offer for the company, which was over $1 billion and we turned it down.”

It’s understandable why the UFC has been getting interest by various investors over the years. With fighters like Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and Jon “Bones” Jones, 2016 has been great for them. Profits for UFC PPV specials have gone through the roof thanks to great bouts that are worth the price of admission. You could say it has been a banner year for the company. Stars are all over TV outlets like late shows, dance competitions and Spike TV (The Ultimate Fighter). When you add the fact that Brock Lesnar will fight at UFC 200 it’s a no-brainer why people are interested.

Once considered a dead duck by critics, the UFC is the most wanted company in years. It will be interesting to see how a deal will be made if the right pieces (or prices) are in place. Maybe the investors can settle the bidding battle the old fashioned way: inside the octagon.